Dear Teen Me

October 15, 2012
In 2010, writers Anderson and Kenneally launched a blog where authors posted letters written to themselves as teenagers; more than 70 of those entries are gathered in this book, from Tom Angleberger, Ellen Hopkins, Mitali Perkins, Dave Roman, Sara Zarr, and more. The letters are self-deprecating (“Let’s just start by ripping off the Band-Aid,” says Robin Benway. “You need to let your bangs grow out”), encouraging (“Go ahead and embrace life on the social fringes,” advises Beth Fantaskey), and revealing (“Even though you don’t drink, a certain very cruel, very callous guy is drinking—and there’s nothing I can do now to stop that thing from happening,” writes Carrie Jones). The breadth of emotion and experience the entries cover guarantee that almost any reader will identify with some of the situations and anxieties expressed. Ages 12–up.

September 15, 2012
Plodding through this mostly disposable collection of blog posts is claustrophobically tiring, like watching someone else reflected in a hall of mirrors. The preponderance of young, white, female authors of commercial series fiction may explain the chatty, repetitious content and tone, larded with perishable pop-culture references. The view that blogs and social networks foster petty narcissism is reinforced here as authors reassure their teen selves that they'll be hotties, win awards and be admitted to their first-choice colleges. Popularity, dating and looks are major themes. Writers congratulate themselves on surviving parental divorce or mean behavior from peers. Reflecting on one's teens from a vantage point of very few years (one was 18 when she "looked back") can sound self-congratulatory and pompous--asserting wisdom without having paid the dues of accumulated life experience. Tough personal stories often feel flat--the short form and high concept work against emotional depth. Scattered among the self-reverential messages are a few gems: Joseph Bruchac's account of how a personal choice became a foundation for self-esteem; Carrie Jones' refusal to be defined by stigma; Don Tate's tough love-style straight talk to his messed-up teen self. Michael Griffo, Mike Jung and Mitali Perkins also avoid cute-speak, conveying genuine feeling and the deeper complexity and contradictions of life as it's lived, not just blogged. Some gems for readers willing to get out the sieve. (Nonfiction. 12 & up)

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November 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-Hindsight is entirely 20/20 in this compendium of letters written by young adult authors to their teenage selves. The selections include anecdotes and advice that are sad, funny, or a combination of both. Topics range from sickness and addiction to loneliness and regret to bullying and abuse. All of the letters are filled with reason and wisdom that few teens possess. Each one is accompanied by a photograph of the writer as a young adult. Interspersed throughout the book are fun Q & A spreads about celebrity crushes and first jobs. Avid readers and aspiring writers will enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations of these authors. A couple of the selections written by graphic novelists are drawn in comic form. Letters are arranged by the author's last name, so teens looking for advice on a particular subject or issue will not be able to easily glean pearls of wisdom from this collection. Better organization would have made the book perfect, but overall, Dear Teen Me is a winning collection for both teens and former teens, alike.Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2013
Grades 8-10 These letters from 70 YA authors were originally published in a still-active blog of the same name. Though supposedly writing to themselves as teens, the contributors offer not private messages but public advice and reassurance, usually on topics of widespread interest ranging from the lightheartedhair care and fashion choicesto abuse, bullying, bulimia, and boyfriend behavior (probably the most common theme, as only 14 of the 70 are men, and some of those are gay). Perhaps because the lineup leans heavily toward younger white writers of paranormal fantasy, there is a certain uniformity of tone and outlook that comes through in frequent references to dance and theater experiences, college plans, and traumatic memories often related to bad parents or being smart or shy, rather than racial or ethnic identity. Nonetheless, along with plenty of (now) amusing anecdotes and hard-won insights, the letters dish up proof that, as Mike Jung puts it, time was on your side, though, and you made it! Each letter ends with a brief biography and photo.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)